


Weird Little Magic

by Little_Bunny



Series: The Weird 'Verse [9]
Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Conversations, Discussion of Bullying, No Bystanders Were Harmed or Even Noticed, Non-Sexual Age Play, Platonic Relationships, Public Scene, Queerplatonic Relationships, Shopping, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:54:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23307331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Bunny/pseuds/Little_Bunny
Summary: So Ryan's just gone to contractor status. Both Shane and Sara can tell he's stressed. If he's ever needed them, it's now.So they invite him to spend the weekend.It isn't just Shane who gets something important from this little thing.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara & Shane Madej, Ryan Bergara & Shane Madej & Sara Rubin
Series: The Weird 'Verse [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563661
Comments: 21
Kudos: 90





	Weird Little Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: While this uses the names and likenesses of real people and companies, this fictional story bears no relationship to these people or companies. This is a work of complete and utter fiction.
> 
> This is not a how-to guide for BDSM. Do your own research if you wish to get involved in the BDSM scene.
> 
> This chapter briefly discusses the bullying of a child.

Ryan is wound way too tight, and he knows it. The stress of putting in his two week notice to go to contractor status has him feeling like he's crawling out of his skin. He calls a meeting in Shane and Sara's car at the end of the work day, because the plan was for them all to go back to their house, but Ryan can tell he needs something more.

"I'm gonna go to a play party and work off some stress," Ryan says, because it's Friday, the opportunity is there, and he just needs someone to give him a good beating tonight. "Either of you interested in joining me?"

They’re sitting in the front seat, while Ryan’s in the middle back, but both are turned sideways as best they can so they can see each other’s faces. Shane looks confused. Sara's eyebrows raise.

"What does that mean, again?" she asks in the way she does when she knows that she knows something but has temporarily forgotten it.

He forgets that they don't necessarily have the same vocabulary he does, or the same BDSM knowledge base. Shane's not particularly interested in researching any of this, while Sara researches, but doesn't participate (except incidentally) in it. 

"Um, it means I really need someone to beat the crap out of me, and it's a party where I can find someone to do that," Ryan says.

"Is that safe?" Sara asks. She sounds curious and cautious. "You've done that before, right? Is that what you usually do?"

Ryan nods. "Yeah. I go to this one fairly regularly, because they allow unattached males. Some places don't," he adds, because they're both raising their eyebrows now.

"Why?" Sara asks.

"I'm assuming they're trying to avoid the ol' 'sausage party' phenomenon," Shane says dryly, and Ryan nods at him.

"Exactly. It's relatively relaxed, as far as things like this go. Fairly small, really." Ryan rolls his shoulders. They're ridiculously tight from stress. "So, do you want to come? It's cool just to observe, if you want."

Sara slowly shakes her head. "That doesn't sound like my kind of thing," she says. She looks up at Shane.

He takes a deep breath. "Um… This might be a stupid question, but is this a sexy thing?"

"The beating or the party?" Ryan asks.

"Uh, both, I guess?" Shane says, his voice squeaking slightly. Ryan's pretty sure he's still uncomfortable with the concept of a more traditional BDSM relationship.

Ryan thinks it's kind of cute.

"I mean, the party is definitely a sexy thing. The beating could be either," Ryan answers. He's not in a particularly sexy mood, but he's open to whatever. 

He can see Shane considering momentarily before he shakes his head. "I don't think I'm--I don't know if--I don't know how you keep it separate, and I'm glad you do, but I don't want to like, flirt with fate and have this platonic thing we do turn into something that's gonna give me a boner or something."

Ryan can't stop himself from laughing, but he thinks that might have been what Shane was hoping for anyway. "Yeah, fair enough," he says. He had worried about that a little when this all started, but after this amount of time without any awkward boners he feels pretty secure that it's not a thing that he needs to worry about. He can't begrudge Shane his reasoning though.

"But if you need us to like, come get you or drop you off or whatever," Sara adds, which is sweet but unnecessary, "we can totally do that."

"Uber is fine," Ryan says. "I've got to go get some of my stuff from my place, but I'll come over when it's all said and done, okay?" He feels a little insecure of Sara and Shane’s reactions. He's gone to these parties before, although his attendance has dropped a lot since he and Shane started doing this stuff. He's only gone half a dozen times in the last three months or so, and usually to sub, since that isn't a thing he gets from this queerplatonic setup. But while they know he plays with other people sometimes, it’s not like they discuss the who, the why, or the how beforehand...or after, really, except in fairly vague ways. 

"Yeah, of course man," Shane says, Sara's curls bob.

"That’s why we gave you a key, Ry," she says. He sighs a little in relief. 

They really do understand him. And even better, they accept him, deep down. Every time he realizes that, it hits the same as it did the first.

"Alright. I'll see you guys later then," he says. He takes a breath and lightning-fast, before he can lose his nerve, he leans forward into the front seat between them and drops a kiss to each of their cheeks. It's getting easier to tell the freaked out frat boy in his head to shut the fuck up, and he enjoys both Shane and Sara's utter delight when he does it.

They both say, "Awww," in unison as he pulls back and grabs his stuff.

"Love you guys. See you later," he says, reaching for the door handle.

"Love you!" they chime. 

"Be safe," Sara adds, because that's who she is.

"Don't get lost and end up taking an Uber to Calabasas," Shane contributes, because that's who he is.

"Got it," Ryan says, and then he leaves the car and heads back into BuzzFeed to wait for his Uber.

* * *

It's exactly what he was hoping for, honestly, and by the time he gets into the Uber to go back to Sara and Shane's, he's riding a real endorphin high, feeling more relaxed than he has in at least a month.

The ride is quiet, and he lets himself in the front door. The living room lamp is still on. It's not particularly late for a Friday, nearing 2, and though he thinks they're asleep, he's not sure.

A meow startles him, and Obi trots in on nimble feet. He winds between Ryan's ankles as Ryan unlaces his shoes to put them up on the shoe rack, a new purchase that was directly due to Obi, Ryan, and the intersection of their interests.

(Thank goodness that when Obi destroyed the first pair of shoes, it was the shitty pair Shane uses when he mows the lawn.) 

Sara had hastily acquired a shoe rack with a latching door that Obi couldn't get into. 

It's the sweetest thing he thinks anyone's ever done for him.

"Hi, fur face," Ryan greets the cat softly as he stows his shoes in the safe compartment. "How's my hideous, nasty boy doing?" He offers a scratch behind the ears that Obi takes with good humor.

"Mrow," Obi replies.

"Shh," Ryan chides. "You're gonna wake Shane and Sara."

"Mrow," Obi says again, but a little softer, as though he understands.

He stops in the kitchen for another glass of water and a protein bar, then goes to his room and changes into pajama pants.

The bathroom seems like a good idea, and he does that, brushing his teeth just long enough to say he did. He checks out the damage in the mirror after taking care of business.

She used a few different things on him tonight. The paddle, an evil lexan thing, hurt like hell, but it didn't leave any visible bruises; he can't say the same about the strap that left obvious marks across his thighs and ass. There's a bright, sunburned glow across his upper back from the flogger, but that will probably disappear by tomorrow. Altogether, it was a lot of sensation, but he'd needed it. He feels settled in his skin now. All the doubts that had crashed over him as soon as HR had accepted his resignation are muted somewhat.

He goes back to his room and gently blocks Obi from following him in. The cat meows at him indignantly, like he always does when Ryan stays the night. 

"Go sleep with Shane and Sara," he whispers to him, closing the door. He hears Obi batting at it stubbornly. Little jerk always tries. 

He crawls into bed. It takes him no time at all to fall asleep.

★★★.

Waking up is soft and gentle. He yawns and stretches slowly. He is sore, but it's a pleasant sort of ache. According to his phone, it's just after 8:30.

When he walks out to the kitchen, he hears Shane baby-talking Obi. They all do it, but Shane is definitely the worst offender.

"Don't be a wittle sour face about it. Ry Ry will be out soon enough but it's not nicey wicey to thump thump thump your paws on his door." Shane is sitting in the middle of the living room floor, Obi cradled in his arms like a mildly disgruntled baby. "I'll have to chop them off and nom them all down!"

He can see why one of the prevailing theories about Unsolved is that Shane is actually a serial killer.

Ryan smirks. "Be nice to the kitty, Shane," he says, using his best condescending Papi tone. Shane startles, and Obi takes his opportunity to twist free. He jumps up on the couch and curls into the pillows, bathing himself indignantly.

Shane turns pink. "I didn't realize you were awake," he says sheepishly, scratching at the back of his neck. "You have a good time last night?"

"Yeah," Ryan says. "Yeah, it was really good. Did you eat breakfast yet?"

"I had coffee," Shane says, gesturing to the coffee table where a mug is sitting. Ryan clicks at him disapprovingly, even though he knows he's being hypocritical. (He only ever eats breakfast with Shane and Sara).

"That's not breakfast. Is Sara still sleeping?"

"Yeah," Shane replies. He looks relaxed and soft in a pair of sweats and those clear glasses, his hair flopping gently against his forehead.

"Did you guys make any real plans for today?" Ryan asks. 

Shane shakes his head. "Nah. We figured this week has been a lot without trying to make actual plans for the weekend. We can just roll with the punches. Why? Did you have an idea?"

"Do you think you might wanna be little at all?" Ryan asks. It's a regular thing, but it's not something they do every time Ryan is over. But Ryan's really hoping that Shane will want that today. Last night was great, and it fulfilled a need in him, but now he needs something else. "I've got a plan, and it'll probably be a lot more fun if you're little."

Shane looks at him for a moment as though he's assessing him. He smiles a little and nods. "Right now?" he asks. "Or a little later?"

"Whenever you want," Ryan says. "I just...I think I kind of need it today." Shane's not the only one who gets something important out of this, after all.

Shane blinks, and then smiles again, bigger. "I'd love to," he says. "I assume, uh, I assume you'll let me know when?"

"Yeah, sure," Ryan says. He can see that he's going to have to coax Shane under today, but that's fine. He's got it down to an art. "You think Sara will wake up if we make breakfast?"

"Almost certainly," Shane agrees.

"Well let's do it then," Ryan suggests. 

So they do, working together in companionable quiet. Ryan feels his shoulders starting to relax.

Sara plods out around the time that the French toast starts sizzling. "That smells good," she says, heading straight towards the coffee pot. 

Ryan turns in time to see her kiss Shane good morning. "So, Brain, what are we going to do today?" she asks, taking a sip of her coffee.

"The same thing we always do, Pinky. Try to take over the world," Shane replies.

"I was thinking we could go hit up Target for a couple little things," Ryan says casually, "and then maybe just come back here and have a chill day?"

Sara's eyebrows rise. "Little" little things?" she asks. Shane looks very busy suddenly pouring his coffee.

Ryan nods. "I mean, yeah," he says. "You don't have to come with,of course--"

"As if you could keep me from Target," Sara scoffs.

"That's what I figured," Ryan says with a teasing grin.

So after they eat, all three of them get dressed and ready. All three hide under caps and sunglasses (because they're a lot more likely to be recognized by fans when they're out together, especially near Hollywood).

"No makeup necessary," Sara says, sounding satisfied as she slips her sunglasses on.

"Who's driving?" Ryan asks, grabbing his wallet.

"Me," Sara says definitely. "Target's my domain, boys." 

* * *

The Target parking lot is full, but not jam packed. "Toothpaste, snacks, cat litter," Sara chants under her breath as they walk through the front door. "You wanna split up or do this together?"

She and Ryan both turn to him. "I don't care," Shane says. "Did I miss a memo? Are we doing something specific that Sara wouldn't want to be here for?" Sara usually stays out of things when they're doing a more intense scene, but it's not like Ryan's gonna turn him over his knee in the middle of Target.

"I mean, I thought we'd get some bath and beach toys for my little boy," Ryan says casually, as though they aren't surrounded by moms and screaming kids and couples and elderly people all looking for household essentials. "You want to help me with that, big guy? I could use a good helper."

His voice is the lilting, sweet, and slightly teasing tone of Papa Ry. Shane has to concentrate on breathing and not squirming. He was not planning to go under in Target. 

He kind of wants to now, though, when Ryan is looking at him with soft, hopeful eyes.

"Okay," Shane says softly. "Sara? You wanna come too?"

She's got a little smile on her face. "We might as well stick together," she says. "It'll be easier that way." Sara grabs a cart. "Let's do this, boys."

He's been with Sara long enough to really know her Target strategy, which is to go down every aisle that seems like it might be vaguely interesting. "Do we need anything in Household?" she asks.

"Hold onto the cart," Ryan orders him quietly. "I don't want you to wander off and get lost."

He won't get lost, but he obediently grabs the side of the cart anyway.

"Good job, bud," Ryan tells him. "Do you think there are bath toys down there?"

They wander the aisles at a decent pace. Sara is adding things to the cart that Shane didn't realize they needed. 

He does like the dinosaur-shaped soap dispenser though. 

"We might need to hit up the baby section," Sara says. "Bath toys would probably be over there."

Shane breathes through the urge to blush. They love him. They aren't judging. It's okay to want these things.

It was Ryan's idea in the first place!

"Really?" he asks, trying to sound a little sarcastic. He doesn't. He sounds...shy. Because Ryan’s doing his level best to make him slip, and it’s working. And Sara's encouraging the hell out of him.

They're the worst, and he loves them.

"That's probably a good idea," Ryan says. He passes Shane and pats him once, stealthily, on the bottom.

"Ry!" Shane complains, but he already knows it’s useless. He’s pretty much gone already.

"What's wrong, bud?" Ry asks innocently, but Shane knows better. He appeals to the highest authority.

"Sara! He can't do that!" he says, and he's whining a little.

"I'm pretty sure the Papa gets to do what he wants," Sara says, grinning. "You should probably listen to him, Shane."

It's kind of scary to be little in Target. But here he is, teetering on the edge. And from the laughing glint in Ryan’s eye, he thinks he's been planning this since breakfast, at least. But Ry will take care of him. It'll be okay.

It's easy to go under. He pouts a little at their teasing. Ry and Sara both laugh.

"Come on, bud. Help me pick out some bath toys," Ry says as they walk into the baby section. It smells vaguely plastic and a little powdery as they pass aisles full of diapers.

"Holy hell, those are expensive," he hears Sara mutter under her breath as they pass.

Ry reaches out and grabs something off the shelf and tosses it in the cart. Shane looks down at it. _ Lavender Bubble Bath and Baby Wash, _he reads. His tummy flutters a little.

It’s just soap, but it’s the meaning behind the soap that’s doing it. Cuz it’s for him, for when he’s little. And it says 'baby' right on the packaging.

He's feeling squirmy but it's really nice.

“Good idea,” Sara remarks. “You keep stealing my bubbles.”

“I’ll buy you a new one from the soap store,” Ry says. “I know you have to keep, like, ten bottles in the bathroom at all times or something awful will happen.”

Sara snorts. “The soap store is called 'Bath and Bodyworks.' And it’s not ten. It’s like, two"

"Huh. That’s not how I learned to count. Ooh," Ry says as they turn the corner. "Look at these! What a great idea."

He snags several small items from the shelf, and hands one to Shane. "You want to see one, Sara?" he asks, extending one in her direction. She reaches out and takes it from him.

Shane studies it. _ Paci Leash, _the package reads. It's just a ribbon with a loop at one end and a clip on the other. The clip has a felt dinosaur covering it. "So it doesn't get lost?" Shane guesses.

"Exactly," Ryan says. He makes direct eye contact with Shane. "Considering how often my little boy loses his binky, maybe we should get a few of these."

Shane shrugs agreeably. That is honestly a good idea. Plus, a freshly-washed paci still kind of smells like soap, which Shane really hates. He swears there’s a phantom taste there. 

"Help me pick them out, Shane," Ry says, taking Shane's free wrist and pulling him in front of the display. "Which ones do you like?"

There's a plane, and a cowboy boot, a dinosaur, a pink and purple butterfly, and an elephant with a tiny bow on its ear. There are also some more plain ones, with childishly printed ribbons and metal clips. He looks at those too.

He likes the dinosaur, because dinosaurs are awesome, and the cowboy boot makes him think about history, which he loves too. "Can I get three, please?" he leans over a little to ask very quietly in Ryan's ear. "Cuz I have three binkies?"

"Sure, big guy," Ryan says. "What nice manners." Ryan pats his back gently.

Shane feels himself turn bright red, but Ry's hand on his back is steadying. "Which ones do you think?" Ry asks.

"This one, this one, and this one," he says, handing over the boot, the dinosaur, and the butterfly, whose wings are spread wide kind of like his favorite specimen above the chair. Ry makes a face at the felt butterfly like he can read Shane's mind. Shane giggles.

"But I like it," he says to Ryan's silent thoughts.

"I know, buddy," he says. "I'm hoping it's a phase you'll grow out of."

Sara shakes her head. "Good luck there. The butterfly collection keeps growing."

"There's a lot of places that sell them," Shane defends. "I just think they're neat."

"_ These _ things are neat," Ryan says, gesturing at the paci leashes. "It'll save Papi from having to wash so many binkies after they fall on the floor all the time cuz some little boy can't keep them in his mouth."

Sara giggles again, and Shane turns a little red once more. Nobody is close by, and even if they were, they'd never know that he's little, he reminds himself. It's totally okay. "Bath toys?" Shane asks meekly. Ryan and Sara thankfully take pity on him and his red face.

They turn down the next aisle, which is all bottles, sippy cups, and other products for feeding babies and toddlers. 

"Need anything down here, Ry?" Sara asks. Shane wonders if she's got a bit of a sadistic streak somewhere; she seems to like to watch him squirm, especially when Ryan causes it. And Shane can't help himself; he certainly squirms.

"I dunno," Ry says, looking over the different sippy cups and bottles. "I wish they came in a little bit bigger of a size. My little big guy could probably use more than 9 ounces sometimes, huh? But there's some cute ones here." He picks up a bottle, with a nipple and everything. It's got butterflies printed on the sides. "Maybe we should try it?"

"It's too little," Shane says softly. He brings his hand up to his mouth and presses his knuckle against his lips. 

"You think so?" Ry asks. "He's pretty little sometimes."

Shane just shakes his head. “Don’t need it,” he mumbles. “Got a cup already.”

“Okay, bud,” Ry says, putting it back on the shelf. “If you’re sure.”

"I've got an idea that might be a good compromise," Sara says. "But first, let's look at the bath toys."

"Kay," Shane says. His instinct is to bite at his hand, but they're in public and he knows he shouldn’t.

As if he can read his mind, Ry grabs his hand. "Keep your knuckle out of your mouth, please. This is a germy place."

"Oh my god, Papa, he's not made of glass!" Sara teases Ry, who squeezes Shane's hand. Shane squeezes back.

"Sue me," Ry says defiantly. "He was holding the cart with that hand not two minutes ago. You know how many snotty nose kids hang off the side of these things?"

"It's cute," Sara says, turning the corner with the cart. She perks up slightly. "Ooh. I think I see bath toys."

There's only a few different bath toys, but Shane gets to pick out a rubber ducky that is bright yellow and will spit water, as well as a couple of floaty boats and some soap crayons for drawing on the wall of the tub.

"Grab me a set of those too," Sara tells him. "I want some. I see potential." So he tosses a second set into the cart.

"Maybe the toy section has some more stuff," Ry says, so they head over and sure enough, that's where they hit the jackpot. A couple of sandcastle buckets full of sand and water toys join the cart. Sara snags a couple of bottles of bubbles and a set of sidewalk chalk as well.

"Why not?" she says rhetorically.

It looks like fun to Shane, so he's not about to protest.

Sara's pushing the cart, so she leads them into the workout section and plucks up an orange and green Gatorade squeeze bottle. "I've heard good things about them," she says. "It's only like, six bucks. Worth a shot?"

He and Ry both nod their approval. Shane likes that it’s stealthy, even if it is very...sports ball.

"Wish I'd thought about that," Ry says. "That's clever."

"Good thing you've got me then," Sara says, bumping him with her hip. "Someone has to guard the brain cell when you're not using it."

"Hey!" he and Ryan protest in unison, and Sara giggles.

"You know," Ry says after a second, "you've got a point, I guess."

"Cat litter," Sara reminds them all. "Obi will appreciate it."

Shane goes to grab it when they get to the aisle, and gets a pop to the hip for it. "Hold onto the cart, Shane," Ry says sternly. "I don't want you to get lost."

Immediately, Shane does. "But it's heavy though," he protests. Sara could certainly manage if she had to, but he's here. He wants to help!

"I've got it, buddy," Ry says. He lifts the 40 pound bag into the cart.

Oh. Duh.

"My hero," Sara laughs. "Okay, anything else we need?"

"Are we good on snacks?" Ry asks.

"Yeah, but if you want something specific, let's just grab it," Sara says.

"C'n we get ice cream?" Shane asks.

"Heck yeah," Ry says. "And those weird pink and white frosted animal cookies."

"Prepare for the sugar rush, got it," Sara says. "But yeah, I like those cookies."

So they get a few snacks

"Alright boys. I don't know about you, but I want a nap. Ready to go home?"

Shane nods softly. He wants to go home and get into his favorite jammies and watch a movie with his favorite people, including Obi and Harold and ZeeZee. (Stuffies are people too.) And maybe take a nap. But only maybe.

"Over and out," Ry says.

* * *

Sara has post-Target down to a routine, so she starts sorting, putting groceries away first. Then she grabs a handful of bathroom things to bring into the guest bathroom.

She can hear Shane and Ryan, because he left his door open just a crack. She glances around for Obi, but doesn't see him. Either he's in there and Ryan's going to have a very sneezy morning tomorrow, or he's off snoozing elsewhere.

"Which jammies do you want, buddy?" Ryan asks. His voice is so soft and gentle. She can't help the smile.

She doesn't hear Shane reply. She's noticed that when Ryan really gets him into little space, he gets pretty quiet. 

It's a little like meditation, and a little like an out of body experience, Shane has told her. "Everything's easy, cuz Ry will take care of it."

Hey, she's got her yoga and meditation. It sounds kind of similar to her.

"Those ones? Good choice. Let Papi help you," Ryan coos.

She's noticed that he mostly refers to himself as Papi, not Papa. She wonders what the reason behind that is. Ryan's not exactly fluent in Spanish; he took it in high school like everyone else. But the only times she hears him say "Papa" are generally as a bit for Unsolved.

She feels slightly weird about using it, and Shane is the same way. Do white people get to say that? They tend to err on the side of caution.

It's quiet in there, with just little encouraging murmurs from Ryan as she picks the price sticker off the dinosaur soap dispenser with her fingernail and fills it with hand soap. (She read just last week that refilling disposable plastic soap bottles can leave some really nasty germs to grow inside. Not to be a germaphobe, since that's Ryan's role, but that's gross.) The new little dino is much cuter anyway. 

When she heads back into the kitchen, Shane and Ryan are in there. Ryan is throwing a baking tray of bagged fries into the oven. Shane is… Why is he sitting on the floor?

Ryan bought him a new onesie not two weeks ago, and Shane loves it. It's gray and printed with Batman logos in yellow and black all over. It's got feet, pockets and a dropseat, and it actually fits Shane's very tall frame. Ryan got it somewhere online. He's also got another one that's printed with rubber duckies.

Ryan's unstoppable as far as buying things for little Shane goes. Apparently, they were on sale.

And once Shane's got that Nuk in his mouth, attached to his pajamas with the butterfly leash, and Harold around his neck , he looks very little. She can tell that Ryan's basically in his happy place doing the Daddy thing. And that makes _her_ happy, because it means that Ryan's relaxing, and not thinking about Buzzfeed right now.

"Whatcha making us for lunch?" Sara asks.

"Eh, chicken nuggets and fries," Ryan replies. "Maybe a salad to balance it out."

"I'll start on that."

She washes the salad fixings and gets to chopping. Shane watches them both, looking very content to sit on the floor. He's idly running his fingers through Harold's fur.

"You alright, big guy?" Ryan asks, setting up a pan to pan fry the chicken nuggets. Sara waffles over the idea of buying a deep fryer, so Ryan makes do. 

Shane just blinks softly a few times. "Uh huh," he mumbles around the pacifier. 

"You look kind of sleepy. Maybe after lunch we should take a nap?"

She sees Shane shrug placidly, as he often does when he's little. "I'm in," she adds. Even when Shane's big, they'll nap together in the big bed, curled up together like a litter of puppies. And considering what went down on Friday, she thinks they all could use a little cuddle time as a veggie patch.

She and Shane both agreed, when they were talking last night as Ryan was off at his play party, probably getting his ass kicked by a friend, that this weekend was gonna be about supporting Ryan, whatever that turned out to mean. But apparently, it means they're going to stay home and chill.

Sara, at least, highly approves of that plan.

Lunch isn't fancy, but it's still good. She watches, amused, when Shane uses a French fry to draw in ketchup all over his plate. Ryan grabs another one and feeds it to Shane, who just lets him as he continues to draw squiggles and flowers on his plate.

It's a little weird, but they're all happy, so whatever.

After lunch, Ryan wipes down Shane and the table, and Sara loads the dishwasher. "Nap time?" she asks.

"Yeah. Come on, big guy. Let's go take a nap."

Ryan ends up between them, with Shane snuggled against his chest and Sara curled against him on the other side. She grabs Ryan's hand, and sees Shane grab the other.

"You guys planned this, didn't you?" Ryan comments to her. It's not really a question despite his inflection.

"We did it for Shane when he was having a bad day," Sara says. "We can do it for you too. So just hush and let us love you, you dork."

"On it," Ryan says with a little sigh.

And the nap is delightful.

Sara wakes up because she feels Ryan shifting slightly next to her. "Hrgh," she grunts intelligently.

"Mmm, don't wake the little guy," Ryan mumbles. 

"Thought you were the little guy," Sara says softly.

"Unless I'm busy being Papi Ry," Ryan confirms cheerfully.

They're cozy. No one moves, and Sara could probably go back to sleep but she'll fuck up her sleep schedule if she does that.

"I notice you call yourself Papi," she says.

"Huh?" Ryan replies. He sounds like he was thinking about falling back asleep too.

"When you talk about yourself in 3rd person, when Shane is little," Sara clarifies. "You always go with Papi, not Papa."

"Papa sounds weird, almost like that bit, when I say it," Ryan says. "It's cute when Shane's so little that he pulls it out, though."

That brings Sara up short, because she's _never_ heard Shane call Ryan "Papa." He always uses "Ry" when he's in little space.

Well, she thought so, anyway. But apparently not.

"He calls you Papa sometimes?" If she wasn't trying to stay quiet enough that Shane will stay asleep, that would have been a squeal. That's so cute she can hardly stand it.

"Yeah," Ryan says. She can hear the smile in his voice. "When he's really under."

"Aww," she replies. "That sounds ridiculously adorable."

"That's my boy," Ryan says, sounding happy. 

"So, weird question. If he calls you Papa, why do you use Papi? You don't have to answer," she hastens to add, "obviously. But if you're willing, I'm interested."

She feels Ryan move slightly, turning so she can see his face. "I mean...I guess it's instinct?" he hazards. He looks like he's considering the idea. "As babies, we had some words in English, Spanish, and Japanese. When we were little kids, we always called our mom Mama and dad Papi. It was only when we got older, went to school, that we switched to 'Mom' and 'Dad.' Because the other kids teased us, a lot."

Sara frowns. The idea of a tiny Ryan Bergara being mocked and teased makes her sad. She threads her arms around him and hugs him.

"People suck," she mutters.

"Yeah," Ryan says. He sighs. "I think it made my dad kind of sad at the time. I remember him asking me if I was ashamed to be Mexican. And I wasn't. I was proud of it. But the other kids were fucking brutal, because it's pretty obvious that I'm mixed race, and I just… It was too much for a seven-year-old. You know?"

Sara can imagine, and it hurts her heart. She squeezes him tighter. "You shouldn't have had to handle that," she tells him softly but fiercely. She pulls back and looks him in the eye. 

He smiles and rolls his eyes a little. "Yeah, I know," he says. 

"You better," she informs him, then leans in and kisses him on the forehead. 

He grins at that. "You tease me about being Papi, but you've got some Mama Bear in you," he remarks. She snorts.

"I've been trained in the art of being a good Jewish mother since I could walk," she says. "I can't help it. It's in my bones."

"But not enough to want to have a little?" Ryan asks.

Sara shakes her head. "Nah. It's not for me. But you two are awfully cute."

"I'm not cute," Ryan says. "Shane's cute. I'm just, you know, there."

"Oh, shush, Bergara. As much as he goes into little space, you go into, like, Daddy space, for a lack of a better term. And it's fucking adorable." She smacks his arm, careful not to jostle Shane who is still sleeping on his other side. "So don't undervalue yourself."

He looks a little surprised. "Yes ma'am," he says. "But really? You think I've got, like… _ Daddy _ space?" The word is awkward in his mouth, and Sara giggles.

"I'm telling you, Ryan. It's a thing. You definitely do."

"Huh." He seems to consider this. "Yeah, I guess," he says after a pause. "I felt it when Shane messed up his ankle."

She remembers. She had been able to _ hear _ it over the phone. As worried as she had been that day, she'd been so glad that Ryan had been able to take care of Shane at the urgent care, and really that whole week basically. And both of the boys had seemed to thrive on it.

She wonders how this whole relationship would have progressed if Shane hadn't hurt himself. 

"Would you...I mean, if Shane called you Papi, is that like, a thing you would want?" 

There's a fleeting, almost wistful look on Ryan's face. "I mean… I'd like it, yeah. But I like Papa too. And Ry." He smiles. "It's a good gauge of how little he is."

"Just not Daddy?" Sara teases. She knows Ryan isn't a fan.

He makes a face and shakes his head emphatically. She laughs.

Ryan checks his watch. "It's about 2:30," he says. "Think we should wake Shane?"

Sara grins. "I dunno," she teases. "Are we gonna have a cranky boy on our hands?"

Ryan wheezes. "Guess we'll find out," he says. 

* * *

Sara heads off to the bathroom, and Ryan studies Shane's soft, sleeping face. He looks so adorable, with the binky in his mouth and Harold clutched to his chest. It would be pretty easy to just let him sleep.

But if he doesn't wake him, Shane's going to have a hell of a time sleeping tonight, so…

"Hey little guy," Ryan says, reaching out and patting his shoulder. "Wake up for me."

Shane lets out a little grumble and tucks his face into Harold's fur. 

"Nope. Come on, buddy. Time to wake up." He shakes Shane's shoulder gently.

"Don't wanna," Shane mumbles, hugging Harold closer.

"Don't wanna? Why not?" Ryan scoots closer, wrapping his arms around Shane. He feels Shane cuddle into him.

"Sleepy," Shane says.

"Oh no," Ryan teases softly. "My little guy is sleepy. Does that mean we can't watch a movie? Or play with our new toys?"

Shane lifts his head at that. "Oh yeah," he says softly. "We got chalk n' bubbles."

"Mmhm," Ryan says. "Do you think you wanna get up?" 

Shane seems to be considering it. "'kay," he says finally.

"Good boy," Ryan tells him, and he sees Shane melt into his praise. It's beautiful. "Come on."

They migrate to the living room. Obi is lounging on the back of the couch, and Shane tiptoes over to him exaggeratedly and scoops him into his arms.

Obi shakes his head and yawns, but doesn't seem to mind. Shane ruffles the fur on the back of his neck.

"Be gentle, Shane," Ryan reminds him, and sees Shane squirm slightly and nod. Ryan has to hide a smirk. It's just too easy.

Sara comes into the living room. "So what are we doing now?" she asks 

Shane looks expectantly at Ryan. Ryan shrugs.

"It's nice outside," he says. "Wanna go play with chalk?"

"Ooh!" Shane says. He carefully puts Obi down on the couch and gets up. "Sara? You wanna draw with us, please?"

"Of course," Sara says. "I'll grab the chalk."

"Let's get you in real clothes, Shane," Ryan reminds him, since Shane looks ready to charge outside in his jammies and paci. 

"Oh, yeah," Shane says. Ryan grabs his hand and leads him to the bedroom.

"What do you wanna draw?" Ryan asks him as he unhooks the pacifier from Shane's onesie and tosses it on the nightstand. He takes Harold from Shane's neck and sets him on the bed.

"Lots of stuff. An adventure with Harold. And ZeeZee. And me and you and Sara." He lets Ryan help him out of the pajamas, which Ryan folds haphazardly and tosses on the bed. A softball-sized black and purple fuzzy bat pops out of one of the pockets when it lands.

So that's where ZeeZee went.

"What kind of adventure? Ryan prompts. He helps Shane into a pair of shorts.

"Maybe we go on a pirate ship? Because we're pirates," Shane says. "With eye patches and big hats and a parrot. Named Obi. He looks like a cat, but he's definitely a parrot cuz he can talk."

"I see. Are we looking for treasure? Is there booty to be found?" Ryan pulls out his (admittedly pitiful) pirate accent. Shane starts to giggle.

"Lots of booty!" He bounces onto the bed. "Because Bigfoot loves booty! And treasure too!" The giggling gets worse.

"Shane!" Ryan scolds jokingly. "Are you being naughty?" 

Shane shakes his head, but the giggles continue. Ryan tickles his bare stomach momentarily, and Shane actually shrieks with laughter. So of course, Ryan has to continue.

"Not naughty!" Shane howls through the giggles, throwing himself back on the bed. "You started it Ry! Ryyyy!"

Ryan has mercy on him, because he's bright pink. He stops tickling and swats him on the hip.

"That's what I thought," Ryan says. Shane's panting for breath but grinning. He sits back up. 

"Alright, shirt," Ryan says, holding up a Reptar shirt that he couldn't resist buying for his boy. He pops the neck of Shane's shirt over his head. "Arms in, bud."

Shane finds the arms of the shirt and wiggles in. "There!" he says. "Can we go now?"

"Let's go see if Sara's ready," Ryan says. He holds his hand out to Shane, who takes it. 

Sara's in the kitchen. She's got two cans of soda and Shane's new Gatorade bottle on the counter, as well as a Target bag. "Ready?" she asks them cheerfully.

"Ready!" Shane says. He takes the Gatorade bottle from Sara and takes a drink.

He likes it. Ryan can tell it makes him feel littler, too. He raises his eyebrows at Sara, who winks. She's full of great ideas.

They go outside to the sidewalk, and Ryan opens the box of sidewalk chalk. The sticks are large and unwieldy. Shane immediately grabs the orange and green.

"This is for Harold," he says. "We're going on a pirate adventure, Sara. And Harold is the captain." Shane sits on the grass at the edge of the sidewalk and starts drawing…well, it looks like Cousin Itt, but Ryan's guessing it's meant to be Harold. 

Sara folds down neatly on Shane's left and begins drawing as well. "Where are we looking for the treasure?"

"We have a magic compass," Shane says. "And it brings us to an island that is sandy and pretty, with lots of palm trees and these really giant crabs." He looks over at Ryan, who has to hide the smile.

The HotDaga makes a lot more sense now that he knows Shane is little.

(He'd never admit it…but he's always had a soft spot for the HotDaga. He just can never tell Shane that, because, well, he's committed to the bit now.)

"Let me guess, buddy," Ryan says, grabbing a couple pieces of chalk and sitting on the ground on Shane's other side. "Were they getting ready for a joust?"

"Yup! So Harold and the crew wander up on the beach, where the two crabs are facing off…"

* * *

Shane looks at the picture they've made. It stretches over the sidewalk.

Sara's parts are the best. She's drawn the three of them. Ry's carrying him on one hip, using his hook hand to cut through vines and leaves. Sara's behind them with ZeeZee perched on her shoulder. And Shane has an eyepatch and a peg leg. 

Harold is leading them all, with Obi the parrot cat on _his_ shoulder. He drew that part, and it's a mess compared to Sara's drawing, but Shane still likes it. A pair of giant jousting crabs are facing off in front of Harold, who seems unfazed.

Ry's drawn a big pirate ship with a grinning skull and crossbones on the sails. Harold and the crew had to fight their way past the jousting crabs to reclaim their ship. It was a big battle, and there were some close calls, but they made it.

"This is a pretty great picture," Ry says. He pulls his phone from his pocket and takes a couple of pictures. "Think that one's worthy of the Fridge."

Shane grins. "It turned out so cool!" He looks at Sara. "You like it, Sara?"

She looks relaxed and pleased. "It's beautiful," she agrees.

Shane's tummy growls loudly, and both Ry and Sara turn to look at him. "Someone's hungry," Ry says. "Should we make some dinner?"

Shane nods emphatically, because suddenly, he's realized that he's starving. 

"Alright. Let's go in. Shane, help me pick up the chalk please."

"I'm going to see what kind of food we can whip up," Sara says, standing up and dusting her hands off against her pants. "Let me take your bottle, Shane."

He hands it to her, feeling a little shy but not sure why. She smiles at him before heading inside.

Shane helps Ry gather the scattered pieces of chalk and fit them back into the box. He didn't realize there were so many chalks when they were taking them out. 

"Good job, buddy," Ry says once he puts the last one in place. Shane feels a happy warmth in his chest. "Thank you for helping."

"You're welcome," he says bashfully. Ry puts his arm around his back and ushers him inside.

Sara's hunting through the fridge. "We could make spaghetti, but honestly, I didn't realize how low we were on groceries, or we would have picked up more than just snacks today," she says. "You wanna order pizza?"

"Sounds good," Ry says. "Come on, buddy, let's wash our hands and get your jammies back on. Then we can pick out a movie to watch together." Ry pats his hip.

Shane crunches down into himself. "Kay," he whispers. He sees Sara smile in the kitchen even as she's on her phone, probably ordering the pizza.

They stop at the bathroom, where Ry washes their hands. He doesn't protest that he's big enough to do it himself.

Ry helps him get back into his jammies and hooks his paci back to the onesie. "Here, little guy," he says, popping it into his mouth. Shane takes it, sighs, and flops back onto the bed, grabbing Harold from his resting spot on the pillow.

"Are you sleepy again?" Ry teases. "Even after that big nap this afternoon?"

Shane shakes his head. He's not sleepy; he's happy. "Love you," he mumbles around the binky.

Ry's face goes soft. "Love you too," he says. He beckons for him. "Come on. Let's go pick out a movie."

He lets Ry lead him out to the living room. "The pizza should be here in half an hour," Sara says. She's standing over the electric kettle.. "Aw, you're so cute!"

Shane feels himself blush a little, and he hides behind Ry. He always gets shy when she says that kind of thing and he's little.

"It's okay, honey," Ry says. "Come on. What movie should we watch?" He sits, and pulls Shane down next to him on the couch.

Sara's making her "kitties and puppies" face again. Shane knows she thinks they're being adorable.

Ry grabs the remote and opens up Netflix, choosing the kid's section. He starts to scroll through, idly reading titles out. 

"Which one looks good?" Ry asks him. He thinks about it for a second, then grins, because he knows exactly which movie to pick.

"Paddington 2?" he says. He knows Ry loves it, and it IS a good movie.

"Agreed," Sara chimes immediately. Ry wheezes next to him.

"You guys aren't slick," he says. "But you're not gonna get an argument from me."

So it's settled.

* * *

"You want to hit the beach tomorrow?" Ryan asks once the credits are rolling. He sounds relaxed and a little bit tired, and Sara's glad that the tension and anxiety that had been silently strangling him all of Friday has dissipated. "Might be kind of fun."

"That would be nice," Sara says. They did just buy a bunch of sand toys; may as well try them out. "What do you think, Shane?"

"Uh huh," Shane says. He's still curled up against Ryan. "Sounds fun."

"Think we should hit the hay?" Sara asks. They did nap today, but she's tired. 

Ryan yawns and stretches next to her. "I'm down," he says. He loosens Shane's grip and stands up. Shane makes a protesting little noise.

"I just have to pee, buddy," he says. "I'll come back." He heads down the hallway.

Sara laughs, because they're both fucking adorable.

"Hey, earth to Shane," she says seriously once she hears the bathroom door shut, and he sits up. She can literally see him coming out of little space and back to his adult self. "I think Ry should sleep with us tonight. What are your thoughts?" He doesn't, usually, when he stays the night, but Sara's still well-aware that Ryan made a huge life change on Friday. And she’s not altogether certain it’s really hit him yet.

They did it when Shane needed it. And she's pretty sure that Ryan needs it tonight.

Shane nods. "Good idea," he says. His voice cracks a little. He spits out the pacifier. "He seems okay though, right? Like he's feeling better? Not so anxious and freaked out?" Shane's eyes search hers for confirmation.

"I think so," she says. She reaches out and grabs his hand. "You worked your _ little _ magic on him."

"Oh my god, Sara," Shane says, looking embarrassed but pleased at her assessment. "Letting him take care of little me hardly constitutes magic."

"No, I'm serious," she replies. "I know you get a lot out of this, but it's good for him, too." She leans in and kisses him. It's only slightly weird because there's a pacifier dangling between them. 

Shane laughs against her mouth. "The pacifier makes it super weird, huh?" he says.

"Totally," she agrees. She kisses him again. "Now let him send you back under, and I'm gonna tell him he's sleeping with us tonight."

She hears the toilet flush and the sink start running in the bathroom.

"Yes ma'am," Shane says jokingly, putting the pacifier back in his mouth. "Operation Saving Papa Ryan is a go."

She laughs.

And Phase One of said operation goes off without a hitch.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to read meta or chat with the author, hit me up at littlebunnywrites.tumblr.com
> 
> Also, please leave a kudos and/or review.


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